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mandate makes it less likely other influences will prevent you from initiating and completing your Module
report. However, once the report is done there are often no obligations to address its findings,
so it is equally important to learn who supports the practice of assessment, and where might be 3
opposition to the process. Those people may be key bureaucrats in your own department, or in

other important government or non-government agencies. Those who are supportive are prime
candidates to become champions of the findings. They should be briefed on the process from the
beginning, informed and even engaged in the process and be key recipients of presentations and
policy briefs on the findings. Those who have concerns about the whole concept and practice of Abu Dhabi, UAE
assessment may become detractors- either critical of the report, or focusing attention away from
the report and on to other government matters. Consider how you might best build bridges with

them and there might be common ground.

? If SOE reports or assessments have been prepared in the past in your country, what happened to
them? What priorities for action were recommended? Were they acted upon? Why (or why not)?
Barriers to use of previous assessments may continue to be barriers; but by identifying them ahead
of time, ways to overcome them may be identified.

? Who is involved in the assessment: In advance of starting the IEA process, you may identify some
of the people who will have a role in the assessment. Certain participants can add legitimacy to an

assessment. In some cases, the participation of external experts and agencies, including UNEP, can
be helpful to ensure that the process is respected.

? What is taking place within your country that might provide a “window of opportunity” for you
to gain public attention to your findings? For example, if there is a debate going on about health
impacts of air pollution, you should think about how your findings can contribute to that debate.
You might personally be interested in an issue such as water pollution, but by looking for the
connection to the issue on the top of today's public and political agenda, you could promote your

assessment in the context of the “issue cycle" which may be the air pollution agenda.

There are many ways to get a sense of the external political and public environment in which your

assessment is taking place:
? Review not only the relevant statutes and regulations that govern the assessment, but also review
the debates in parliament and parliamentary committee minutes at the time. Find the background
white/green papers, or other relevant policy documents.

? Investigate with current/former bureaucrats their recollection of the process involved in securing
the mandate to do the assessment.
? Monitor political and social coverage in the national media – what does the media think is worth
reporting?

IEA Training Manual Workshop for the National Reporting Toolkit (NRT) 9